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Biographical
Information

Robert
W. Straub served as Oregon's
governor from January 13,
1975 to Jan. 8, 1979.

Governor
Straub began his political
career in 1954 as a member
of the Lane County Board of
Commissioners. Later he served
as a state senator from Lane
County from 1959 to 1963.
Soon after he was elected
to the Oregon State Senate,
Straub became identified as
an enthusiastic proponent
of natural resource management
and conservation. Straub had
voiced his concern about increases
in air and water pollution
early in his political career.
He was well known for his
favorable stance on the Oregon
Beach Bill, defining Oregon
beaches as public domain,
and the Willamette Greenway
Plan, making the Willamette
River accessible to the public
while making the river as
pollution free as possible.
Both of these bills were considered
to be landmark environmental
packages. Straub's anti-pollution
legislation added to his reputation
as a supporter of a green
Oregon.
Straub was elected state treasurer
in 1964 and served two terms.
During his tenure as state
treasurer, Straub earned a
reputation of being fiscally
conservative. Straub became
governor in 1975, winning
by the largest margin ever
recorded in an Oregon gubernatorial
election.

Governor
Straub was instrumental in
increasing direct property
tax relief, utility rate relief
for senior citizens, and strengthening
land use laws and energy laws.
Straub reorganized the Department
of Human Resources to improve
management of the wide variety
of social and health services
in the State and appointed
more women, handicapped, and
minorities to head state agencies
and division than any previous
Oregon governor. Basic school
support was increased and
rehabilitation and employment
of the handicapped was expanded
during his administration.
To diversify and expand Oregon's
economy Straub successfully
recruited
nonpolluting, labor intensive
industries.

Straub
was born in San Francisco,
California on May 6, 1920.
He earned both his Bachelor
of Arts and Master of Science
degrees in Business Administration
at Dartmouth College. Straub
and his wife Pat were married
in 1944 and had five children.
After an unsuccessful bid
in 1978 for a second term
as Oregon governor, he retired
from public service and lived
in Salem, Oregon.

In the late-1990s, Straub
publicly announced his Alzheimer's
Disease diagnosis in
order to raise awareness of
the disease. He died on November
27, 2002 in Springfield, Oregon
from complications related
to Alzheimer's Disease at
the age of 82.p